Prabhupāda: Just see. All dogmatic. All dogmatic foolishness they are propagating, and it is going on in the name of vijñāna, science.
Hari-śauri: If they admitted the existence . . .
Prabhupāda: Vijñāna should be enunciated, vigata-jñāna. Vigata . . . you understand vigata? Vigata means lost. So vijñāna, you can make two meanings. Viśiṣṭa-jñāna. Viśiṣṭa, vi means . . . viśiṣṭa means full, explained knowledge. You can make this meaning. And another meaning you can do. Vi means vigata, "lost." So vigata-jñāna. Their vijñāna means vigata-jñāna, lost of all knowledge. So that is the word given in Bhagavad-gītā, māyayāprahṛta-jñānaḥ. This is vijñāna. You can explain in this way also. Māyayāpa . . . māyā has taken away their knowledge, and that is going on as vijñāna, science. Māyā has made them rascal, and they are presenting themselves as the man of advanced knowledge. A rascal is representing himself as advanced in knowledge. That is the defect of Kali-yuga.
Hari-śauri: Advanced demoniac knowledge.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Advanced demon. Actually they are advanced demons, asura, asurī-bhāvam āśritaḥ, being infected with the contamination of atheism, godlessness. (japa)
Hari-śauri: They're actually very expert at avoiding the real issues.
Prabhupāda: That is . . . a child can also do that. That is not expert. A child can advance in foolishness without any guidance. If the child touches fire, and if somebody says: "This is advancement of knowledge," then imagine what is the position. Similarly, all these rascals, they are endeavoring. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. He endeavored all through how to become immortal, which is impossible. But he advanced in that foolishness. Hiraṇyakaśipu was such a big demon, his only idea was that, "The devatās, they attack us sometimes. But now I shall attack them and plunder them. But because I am now practically immortal, what they will do? They cannot kill me. So I will go on with my demonic activities, and they cannot do anything." This is his foolishness. He did not know that he's the greatest foolishness that he was trying to become immortal. When it was said by Brahmā that, "No, no, it is not possible," still, he expected that, "I shall become immortal." Brahmā flatly said: "No, no, this is not possible. I am not immortal. How can I give you immortality?" But he would not hear even Brahmā. He thought that, "In an indirect way I shall befool this man, Brahmā." "All right, sir, then give me this benediction." "What is that?" "I'll not die in the land." "All right." "Not in the water." "Yes." "Not in the air." "No, yes." So he thought that "These three things finished. Then where shall I die? There are three things only—land, water, sky. So he has given me benediction I shall not die anywhere of these three. So I have cheated now." And then, "I shall not die in daytime." "Yes." "I shall not die in nighttime." But māyā dictated that there is another space or another place between day and night. (laughs) That he forgot. That is called sandhyā. That is accepted.